Johbr x



March 8, 1932. J. E. OSTRANDER ICE CREEPER Filed Dec. 11, 1930 .ZLTOlsi'rarlJe r Patented Mar. 8, 1932 r i JOHNaFi. VOSTRANDER, F STA'ATSBURG, NEW YORK v Ion oREErER Application filed December 11; 1 80. Serial m5. 501, 47.

This invention relates toice'creepers and the invention has for anobject to provide a device of this kind which is'adapted for 'wear under both the sole portion and heel portion of a'bootor shoe. 4; q "It is also an object of the inventionto provide a device of this kind whereinthetwo portions of the creeper are so 'connectedas to provide a unitary structure 'andin a man- 10 n-er to assure the maintenance of the'device in effective working placement V The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement oftheseveral parts of myimproved ice creep-erwhereby certain important advantages are attained and the devicerendered simpler, less? expensive and otherwise more convenient andadvantag-eous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth."

The novel featuresof my invention'will hereinafter be definitely claimed. 8

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to theaccompanying. drawings, wherein I t Figure 1 is a view in side elevation'of an ice creeper constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention a Figure 2 is a viewin'top plan: of the device as illustrated inFigure 1;

1 Figure 3 is afragm taken substantially on the line 3 3. of Figure 1. I 7' f p I As disclosed in the accompanying drawfigs, T denotes. a toggle member adapted-to underlie the sole portion of a boot orshoe and wherein the connecting'members 'l for the levers 2 of the toggle are extended to constitute calksff i 2 .The forward levers 2 of the togglelmembe'r T ihave 'pivotally connected thereto substantially midway their ends the outwardly disposed and relatively short arm" 3;theconnecting' members The rear levers 'tially midway their ends the further 'calks 5.

The outer ends of are provided with entary sectional view 4 also constituting calks'.- 2 .of the member T substan- V p the arms 3 extend wardly, as at 6, to overlie theside portions of a-boot' or shoe and pivotally connected to resiliency or p readily conform to the portion of thesole 71 0.0

said upstanding portions are the eye mom'- bers 7 through which are freely directeda 1 holding strap 8,'said strap'being adaptedto befdis'posed overthe'toe portion of the boot I i orshoeh 1 The members 9 for pivotally connecting the eye members 7 also serve as pivots for the forward endportions of the elongated side bars 10, the opposite or rear end portions of V which being pivotally connected'by themembers llwith the upstanding side arms 12 provided at the outer" ends of the plates 14. The members 11 also serve as pivots for the upstanding eye orloop members 15 through which'isfreely directeda'strap 16. The forward portion of the strap 16 between the eye or loopmembers 15 is freely engaged with a rearwardly disposed hook or clip mem-.

. ber 17 pivotally connected with the rear por tion of the toggle member'T. 'This portion of'the strap 16 is adapted to extend across and below the arch portion of the boot. or shoe with which the creeper inits entirety I may be employed. Thestrap 16 is also adapted to be disposed and engaged over the instep of the footwear with thefree end pjortions of the strap connected in anydesired manner;- i

The plates 14 are adapted to underlie the heel ofIa-boot or shoe while the arms 12 are arranged at the sides of the footwear closely 7 adj acent to the forward end of the heel proper, The upper end portions of the arms I lt'are connected by an elongated spring strip 7 18 which, when the device is applied, snugly straddles from the footwear.

' By pr'operlyjtightening the rear the heeliportion of the straps g8 and ,16, the device w ll be caused to properly ad-.

just itself to the sole andheel portions of the footwear to which it isapplied, thus assuring the device being heldindesired working position. The plates desired calks- 19.

I It isto be statedthat the levers of the V '7 toggle-member T posses's sufficient inherent i flexibility to allow the. same to 14 have depending therefrom 5 l' i out my invention in of a boot or shoe with which said toggle member is associated. 7

It is also believed to be apparent from the foregoing description that the assembly of the various parts and especially as afforded by the various pivotal connections, allows the device in its entirety to substantially instantaneously adjust itself to various sizes of boots or shoes as a result of drawing strain upon the straps 8 and 16.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that an ice creeper constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown incarrying practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1, An ice creeper of the class described comprising a member adapted to underlie the sole portion of a boot or shoe, a member adapted to underlie the heel portion of such footwear, both of said members having parts extending up on the opposite sides of the footwear and including means for laterally adjusting said members, side members connecting said parts, retaining means coacting with the upstanding parts .of the sole member, and retaining means coacting with the upstanding parts of the heel member.

2. An ice creeper of the class described comprising a member adapted to underlie the sole portion of a boot .or shoe, a member adapted to underlie the heel portion of such footwear, both of said members having parts extending up on the opposite sides of the footwear and including means for laterally adjusting said members, side members connecting said parts, retaining means coactin with the upstanding parts of the sole member, and retain ng means coactmg with the upstanding parts of the heel member, said last named vretainlng means bemg also engaged with the sole member.

3. An ice creeper of the class described comprising a member adapted to underlie the sole portion of a boot or shoe, a member adapted to underlie the heel portion of such footwear, both'of said members having parts extending up on the opposite sides of the footwear and including means for laterally adjusting said members, side members connecting said parts, retaining means coacting with the upstanding parts of the sole member, and retaining means coacting with the upstandingparts of the heel member, said last named retaining means being also engaged with the sole member, said sole member c0nstituting a toggle structure.

4:. An ice creeper of the class described comprising a member adapted to underlie the sole portion of a boot or shoe, a member adapted to underlie the heel portion of such footwear, both of said members having parts extending up on the opposite sides of the footwear and including means for laterally adjusting said members, side members connecting said parts, retaining means coacting with the upstanding parts of the sole member, and retaining means coacting with the upstanding parts of the heel member, the heel member constituting two pivotally connected arms.

5. An ice creeper of the class described comprising a member adapted to underlie the sole portion of a boot or shoe, a member adapt-ed to underlie the heel portion of such footwear, both of saidmembers having-parts extending up on the opposite sides of the footwear, side members connecting said parts, retaining means coacting with the upstanding parts of the sole member, and retaining means coacting with the upstanding parts of the heel membergsaid last named retaining means being also engaged with the sole member, said sole member constituting a toggle structure, said heel member constituting two pivotally connected arms adjustable horizontally.

- 6, An ice creeper comprising a toggle member adapted to underlie the sole portion of a boot or'shoe, oppositely disposed arms carried by the toggle member and terminating in upstanding parts to overlie the opposite sides of the footwear, retaining means coacting with saidupstanding parts, a heel member comprising two pivotallyconnected plates adapted to underlie the heel of the footwear, said plates having upstanding arms for placement at opposite sides of the footwear, side members connecting the upper portions of the arms of the plates and the upstanding parts of the arms carried by the toggle member, and "a strap freely engaged with the upper portions of the arms of the heel member and also freely engaged with the inner portion of the toggle member, said strap being adapted for securement over the instep of the footwear. I

7. An ice creeper comprising a toggle member adapted to underlie the sole portion of a boot or shoe, oppositely disposed arms carried by the toggle member and terminating in upstanding parts to overlie the opposite sides of the footwear, retaining means coacting with said upstanding parts, a heel member comprising two pivotally connected plates adapted to underlie the heel of the footwear, said plates having upstanding arms for placement at opposite sides of the footwear, side members connecting the upper portions of the arms of the plates and the upstanding parts of-the arms carried by the toggle member, a

strap freely engaged with thengper portions of the arms of the heel mem er and also freely engaged "with the inner portion of the toggle member, said strap being adapted for.

securement over the instep of the footwear, and a member having its extremities connected to the arms of the heel member and adapted to straddle the heel. portion of the footwear from the rear.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN E. OSTRANDER. 

